Introduction ix
Part I What We Did, Why We Did It, and How We Did It
1 The "What" Question: A Campus Visit 3
2 The "Why" Question: Background and Context for Our Study 13
3 The "How" Question: Our Methods 39
Part II The Individual Learner
4 Higher Education Capital: What College Should Achieve 73
5 Mental Models of the College Experience: Learnings, Earnings, and
Yearnings 119
Part III The Campus Culture
6 A Pervasive Finding: Mental Health Issues 171
7 On Belonging and Alienation 201
Part IV What's to Be Done
8 Stepping Back and Looking Ahead: From Is to Ought 237
9 Feedback to Colleges 251
10 Messages to Various Constituencies 285
Epilogue: The Authors Reflect 321
Acknowledgments 337
Appendix A: List of Schools and School Features 343
Appendix B: Sample Questionnaire 347
Appendix C: Aligned Programs for the 21st Century 355
Notes 361
Box Sources 373
Index 375
Wendy Fischman is a Project Director at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and lead author of Making Good- How Young People Cope with Moral Dilemmas at Work. Howard Gardner is Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the author of A Synthesizing Mind- A Memoir from the Creator of Multiple Intelligences Theory (MIT Press) and many other books.
"In this fascinating book, Gardner and Fischman (both, Harvard
Graduate Sch. of Education) share the quantitative and qualitative
results of a study conducted from 2013 to 2018, intended to
ascertain how participants viewed higher education; they conclude
that it has 'lost its way and stands in considerable peril.”'The
authors found that students are struggling with mental health and
feelings of belonging and alienation—from their fellow students,
from their scholarly work, and from their institutions. The study
focused on 10 colleges and relied on surveys and interviews with
students, faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, young alumni,
and parents. The book examines four mental models, which explain
students’ reasoning for pursuing higher education, and notes that
students and administrators may feel at odds if they have different
mental models. The authors end with recommendations for specific
actions to help foster a sense of belonging in students; an
epilogue includes a thought-provoking dialogue between the authors
as they reflect on their own educational journeys...Recommended for
college faculty, administrators, and trustees keen on aligning a
college’s mission with the needs of its constituencies."
—Library Journal
"The authors offer multiple prescriptions to reframe higher
education, beginning with a new laser focus on academics. They
recognize there will be resistance, including from parents who want
their children to enjoy the social dividends of a campus and
believe the main payoff from a college degree is a
job. Gardner and Fischman counter that social opportunities
can be found in many other settings, and students can hone job
skills by going directly from high school into training programs.
Their position: The return on investment from a college education
should not be measured in job offers and salary but in the lifetime
return of being able to think about and solve real-world
problems."
—the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"An insightful survey of what students actually get out of campus.
This book provides valuable data and reflection on the ways that
higher ed has “lost its way” and how it can recenter the academic
mission. As someone who has spent more than 30 years teaching at a
national liberal arts college, I hope that higher-ed stakeholders
put this accessible volume on their summer reading list."
—Washington Independent Review of Books
"An important book for anyone who cares about the future of
American higher education."
—CHOICE
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